Naveen seeks national-level food tech institute in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Centre to sanction a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management (NIFTUM) in the state.

“In view of the fast growing agro-food processing sector, there is an imminent need for setting up of a National Institute of Food Processing in the state. I would, therefore, request you to consider sanctioning of a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management (NIFTUM) in Odisha,” wrote Patnaik in a letter to Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today.

The Chief Minister said that the state with 10 agro-climatic zones has a huge potential for the food processing sector.

“The state is not only surplus in production of rice, but also has a substantial output of maize, horticulture produce, spices like ginger and turmeric and seafood items,” he pointed out.

“Already one food park at Khordha is operational with certain popular food processing units like Britannia, Indo-Nissin, ITC Ltd, Parle Agro, Coca Cola India etc. The MITS Mega Food Park at Rayagada is ready to commence its operations and the Sea Food Park at Deras near Bhubaneswar is at an advanced stage of execution. Eastern Nutriments Ltd is also in the process of development of another food park at Ramdaspur near Cuttack,” Patnaik mentioned in the letter to emphasize his demand.